[Cambo]

has made a HUGE comeback technologically; they are now competitive, and leading the pack in a number of key areas. Now they need to translate that into market share.

They could start by getting some high-profile endorsers with their 645. And they should give me a free K5 or two and a bunch of lenses.

Cheers,
Cameron

Successfully!

I think they applied this to "Pentax"

"Cameras" - we shall see

645D = good

APSC
Deliver us 2 new cameras that are state of the art
And 2 new lens that complement the above

Well
For f''ks sake
Pentax seem to have achieved it

[Rupert]

I came down a little (too?) hard on Pentax on the announcement and pricing......they simply Must get better at marketing and PR! However if it is priced competitive to the D7000, it is bound to be a big winner. It has everything I want and more than I need.
I do feel that Pentax is neglecting the market in America, and I also believe that with a little work, they could tap into the huge Sporting Market here with the WR bodies and lenses. We'll see what their new program can do? Right now, just get me the K5, I'm ready!
Regards!

[aleonx3]

Also they somehow need to tackle the lack of Pentax equipment in stores. When people are going to spend significant money on a camera and a set of lenses, I think they need to be able to touch and feel the equipment. I think this is especially true for new buyers.
Pentax needs to get store sales staff on their side so they are not just selling Canon and Nikon.

Yes, but no. They need to get the camera in the stores, but not any stores. They also need to have sales staff qualified to identified the unique features that Pentax DSLR have and not other brands. They need to do what Cisco does in the networking gear world (qualified Cisco experts). Blindly putting cameras in stores is not the best way to get people to buy it - like throwing money away without real return.... the concept like SONY store is better than putting in any other stores (like B** or W**). That's my 2cents.

[nosnoop]

It's the same for any small company, you have to give more bang for buck, or you simply won't sell.
Pentax need to do the numbers, but my gut would say if you don't undercut the D7000 the extra profit you make from the people that do buy at the full RRP, will not come close to the amount you would gain if you sold it for the lesser price than the D7000.
It's a matter of either selling few @ full profit, or more at a lesser profit.... I have no doubt the latter is a much smarter way forward for Pentax to make more money of the K-5.

I beg to differ. Even though K-5 is a competitor to D7000, 60D... but in reality, D7000 and 60D would outsell K-5 by a landslide, no matter how good K-5 is or how much cheaper it is priced at. Sure, undercutting rivals can increase your sales volume, but it is not without risk, as they may have to invest in additional production facilities. Maintaining a healthy profit margin is also critical to a company's long term survival.

[robgo2]

Some may consider the price of the K-5 a bit steep, but you do get an awful lot of camera for it. Moreover, the K-5 would appear to be a 2 or 3 generation camera, meaning that one should not feel a need to upgrade for at least that long. With my K-7, I sort of knew that I would be upgrading to its immediate successor when I bought it, but I needed a new camera for a major photo excursion and could not wait. On the whole, I have been very pleased with the K-7, but the new sensor in the K-5 is too good to resist. I just hope that the final production model lives up to our expectations.

Rob

[Pentaxor]

Well this is an extension of the K-5 praise thread - only it's for more generic Pentax praise.
I don't see a price failure here - well in keeping with previous flagship models and competition. If someone wants a 7D ahead of a K-5, then go for it. I'm sure I'm not alone in believing the K-5 to be a better long-term investment than the 7D or D7000.

I believe that the only obvious remaining advantage of the 7D is it's AF speed which targets the sports shooters category. if Pentax made something as fast and accurate AF as the 7D, the 7D would become less desirable for Pentax users. of course, the IQ rendering of the 7D is pretty good (thanks to the 18MP Sony Sensor), which also makes it even more nice for lowlight use. but the Pentax K-5 have somewhat challenged that advantage, also considering that Pentax retain or show more detail than it's Canon counterpart. we'll just have to wait and see on how good really is the 16.3MP K-5 and if it really has a killer DR or really has the same or slightly better HIGH ISO IQ of that of the D700 as shown on some preliminary samples.

for the Canon User, it's a no-brainer that the way to go is the 7D right now. although Im not sure what Canon has really instored in a few months that could pretty well outdo the K-5, whether it's 7D successor or 5D MK II successor. and Yes, the Canon Glass budget. me thinking, Pentax Legacy Lenses.

[pingflood]

of course, the IQ rendering of the 7D is pretty good (thanks to the 18MP Sony Sensor), which also makes it even more nice for lowlight use. but the Pentax K-5 have somewhat challenged that advantage, also considering that Pentax retain or show more detail than it's Canon counterpart

Err, Sony sensor?

Also, the 7D retains substantial detail even at ISO 12,800. The K-5, we have yet to see.

[Pentaxor]

Err, Sony sensor?

Also, the 7D retains substantial detail even at ISO 12,800. The K-5, we have yet to see.

they may have the same sensor, but you know how each camera manufacturer does his own way of using that sensor.

they may have the same sensor, but you know how each camera manufacturer does his own way of using that sensor.

The 7D uses a Canon sensor, not Sony.

[redpigeons]

I have a problem...
I can not wait until the K5 is coming ,
and then I know that its bad to but cameras on the release date but I pretty sure this is going to be my gift to my self on Black Friday

[Pentaxor]

The 7D uses a Canon sensor, not Sony.

is it? anyway, the point there is that if both systems have the same sensor, will they have the same way of exploiting it's capability? and how would it be presented in such way? if such are identical to each other, then cameras themselves are no different from each other except for branding.

[junyo]

I believe that the only obvious remaining advantage of the 7D is it's AF speed which targets the sports shooters category.

And number of AF points. And flash sync speed. And flash system. And new lens selection. And third party support. And availability. And service life. And service availability.

I mean, the K-5 looks to be a competent camera, but let's be realistic. It's great for Pentax users, but if you're not already invested in the mount, it's a very hard sell. I don't see it growing the user base. To attract new users, Pentax has to be a lot more aggressive, or go the way of Leica and become more stylish object than camera.

[philbaum]

I figured this was going to be a tough decision as to whether to go with the K5 or the D7000. But when you look at the specs for the D7000, its been crippled so that it won't compete with the D300 series.

For me, the area of concern is that the D7000 does not have multiple image capability, and it won't shoot more than 3 bracketed images at a time. This is not an adequate number of images when shooting for HDR in high contrast situations. All the flagship Pentax cameras since K10 will do either 3 or 5 at 2 EV steps at the touch of the button. The D300 sends even an experienced photographer into the menu system to set up the same capabilities. If you're into automated bracketing, panoramas with bracketing, or extended bracketing, the D7000 does not compare.

Its the K5 for me but not right away.

[Pentaxor]

And number of AF points. And flash sync speed. And flash system. And new lens selection. And third party support. And availability. And service life. And service availability.

I mean, the K-5 looks to be a competent camera, but let's be realistic. It's great for Pentax users, but if you're not already invested in the mount, it's a very hard sell. I don't see it growing the user base. To attract new users, Pentax has to be a lot more aggressive, or go the way of Leica and become more stylish object than camera.

actually I was only making camera comparisons between the 7D and K-5. I don't care much about having lot's of AF points and find that having 51+ of it as unnecessary or simply overkill unless those are necessary for tracking and fast focus lock. for me, a maximum of 25 would be enough for my use.

but anyway, I do agree with your assessment that Pentax needed to do more if they wanted to be highly competitive again. honestly, I don't buy the idea that Pentax is out of money due to their 645D and mid-range camera line ventures, especially now that HOYA has taken over. for me, it is more like Pentax still playing it safe at a certain level. although it already made some moves or changes, those aren't still enough.

[uchinakuri]

And number of AF points. And flash sync speed. And flash system. And new lens selection. And third party support. And availability. And service life. And service availability.

agreed